The Epistles of Cyprian 81
81 To Successus on the Tidings Brought from Rome, Telling of the Persecution PL 4, 424
Argument.—Cyprian Tells the Bishop Successus, that in a Severe Persecution that Had Been Decreed by the Emperor Valerian Xistus the Bishop Had Suffered at Rome on the Eighth of the Ides of August; And He Begs Him to Intimate the Same to the Rest of His Colleagues, that Each One Might Animate His Own Flock to Martyrdom.
1. Cyprian to his brother Successus, greeting. The reason why I could not write to you immediately, dearest brother, was that all the clergy, being placed in the very heat of the contest, were unable in any way to depart hence, all of them being prepared in accordance with the devotion of their mind for divine and heavenly glory. But know that those have come whom I had sent to the City for this purpose, that they might find out and bring back to us the truth, in whatever manner it had been decreed respecting us. For many various and uncertain things are current in men’s opinions. But the truth concerning them is as follows, that Valerian had sent a rescript to the Senate, to the effect that bishops and presbyters and deacons should immediately be punished; but that senators, and men of importance, and Roman knights, should lose their dignity, and moreover be deprived of their property; and if, when their means were taken away, they should persist in being Christians, then they should also lose their heads; but that matrons should be deprived of their property, and sent into banishment. Moreover, people of Cæsar’s household, whoever of them had either confessed before, or should now confess, should have their property confiscated, and should be sent in chains by assignment to Cæsar’s estates. The Emperor Valerian also added to this address a copy of the letters which he sent to the presidents of the provinces concerning us; which letters we are daily hoping will come, waiting according to the strength of our faith for the endurance of suffering, and expecting from the help and mercy of the Lord the crown of eternal life. But know that Xistus was martyred in the cemetery on the eighth day of the Ides of August, and with him four deacons. Moreover, the prefects in the City are daily urging on this persecution; so that, if any are presented to them, they are martyred, and their property claimed by the treasury.
2. I beg that these things may be made known by your means to the rest of our colleagues, that everywhere, by their exhortation, the brotherhood may be strengthened and prepared for the spiritual conflict, that every one of us may think less of death than of immortality; and, dedicated to the Lord, with full faith and entire courage, may rejoice rather than fear in this confession, wherein they know that the soldiers of God and Christ are not slain, but crowned. I bid you, dearest brother, ever heartily farewell in the Lord.
ARGUMENTUM.-- Rogatianum et collegas confessores, in carcere constitutos consolatur, et exemplo Rogatiani senioris et Felicissimi martyrum animos illis addit. In exilio scriptam epistola ipsa indicat.
Cyprianus Sergio et Rogatiano et caeteris confessoribus in Domino perpetuam salutem. Saluto vos, fratres charissimi ac beatissimi, optans ipse quoque conspectu vestro frui, si me ad vos pervenire loci conditio permitteret. Quid enim mihi optatius et laetius posset accidere quam nunc vobis inhaerere, ut complecteremini me manibus illis quae purae et innocentes et Dominicam fidem servantes sacrilega obsequia respuerunt? Quid jucundius et sublimius quam osculari nunc ora vestra, quae gloriosa voce Dominum confessa sunt, conspici etiam praesentem ab oculis vestris, qui, despecto saeculo, conspiciendo Deo digni extiterunt? Sed, quoniam huic laetitiae interesse facultas non datur, has pro me ad aures et ad oculos vestros vicarias litteras mitto, quibus gratulor pariter et exhortor ut in confessione coelestis gloriae fortes et stabiles persevcretis, et ingressi viam Dominicae dignationis, ad accipiendam coronam spiritali virtute pergatis, habentes Dominum protectorem et ducem qui dixit: Ecce vobiscum sum omnibus diebus usque ad consummationem mundi (Matth., XXVIII, 20). O beatum carcerem, quem illustravit vestra praesentia! o beatum carcerem, qui homines mittit ad coelum! o tenebras lucidiores sole ipso et luce hac mundi clariores, ubi modo constituta sunt! Dei templa et sanctificanda divinis confessionibus membra vestra.
Nec quicquam versetur in 164 cordibus et mentibus vestris quam divina praecepta et mandata coelestia, quibus vos ad tolerantiam passionis Spiritus sanctus semper animavit. Nemo mortem cogitet, sed immortalitatem, nec temporariam poenam, sed gloriam sempiternam, cum scriptum sit: Pretiosa est in conspectu Domini mors justorum ejus . Et iterum: Sacrificium Deo spiritus contribulatus, cor contritum et humiliatum Deus non despicit . Et iterum, ubi loquitur Scriptura divina de tormentis quae martyres Dei consecrant et in ipsa passionis probatione sanctificant: Et si coram hominibus tormenta passi sunt, spes eorum immortalitate plena est. Et in paucis vexati, in multis bene disponentur, quoniam Deus tentavit illos, et invenit illos dignos se. Tamquam aurum in fornace probavit illos et quasi holocausti hostiam accepit illos, et in tempore erit respectus illorum. Fulgebunt justi, et tamquam scintillae in arundineto discurrent. Judicabunt nationes et dominabuntur populis, et regnabit eorum dominus in perpetuum . Quando ergo judicaturos vos et regnaturos cum Christo Domino cogitatis, exultetis necesse est et futurorum gaudio praesentia supplicia calcetis, scientes ab initio mundi sic institutum ut laboret istic in saeculari conflictatione justitia, quando in origine statim prima Abel justus occiditur, et exinde justi quique et Prophetae et Apostoli missi. Quibus omnibus Dominus quoque in se ipso constituit exemplum, docens ad suum regnum non, nisi eos qui se per viam suam secuti sint, pervenire dicens: Qui amat animam suam in isto saeculo, perdet illam. Et qui odit animam suam in isto saeculo, in vitam aeternam conservabit illam . Et iterum: Nolite timere eos qui occidunt corpus, animam vero non possunt occidere: magis autem metuite eum qui potest et animam et corpus occidere in gehennam . Paulus etiam nos adhortatur ut qui ad Domini promissa venire cupimus, imitari Dominum in omnibus debeamus: Sumus, inquit, filii Dei. Si autem filii, et haeredes, haeredes quidem Dei, cohaeredes autem Christi, siquidem compatiamur, ut et commagnificemur. . Addidit etiam comparationem praesentis temporis et futurae claritatis dicens: Non sunt condignae passiones hujus temporis ad superventuram claritatem quae revelabitur in nobis . Cujus claritatis gloriam cogitantes, pressuras omnes et persecutiones tolerare nos convenit, quia, etsi sunt multae pressurae justorum, ex omnibus tamen liberantur qui in Deum fidunt.
Beatas etiam feminas quae vobiscum sunt in eadem confessionis gloria constitutae, quae, Dominicam fidem tenentes et sexu suo fortiores, non solum ipsae ad gloriae coronam proximae sunt, sed et caeteris quoque feminis exemplum de sua constantia praebuerunt. Ac, ne quid deesset ad gloriam numeri vestri, ut omnis vobiscum et sexus et aetas esset in honore, pueros etiam vobis gloriosa confessione sociavit divina dignatio, repraesentans nobis tale aliquid quale Ananias, Azarias et Misahel illustres pueri aliquando fecerunt; quibus inclusis in caminum cesserunt ignes et refrigerium flammae dederunt, praesente cum illis Domino et probante quod in confessores et martyres ejus nihil posset gehennae ardor operari, sed quod qui in Deum crederent, incolumes semper et tuti in omnibus perseverarent. Et consideretis diligentius peto, pro vestra religione, quae apud pueros fides fuerit, quae promereri Dominum plenius potuit. Ad omnia enim parati, sicut omnes esse debemus, aiunt regi: Nabuchodonosor rex, non opus est nobis de hoc verbo respondere tibi. Est enim Deus, cui nos servimus, potens eripere nos de camino ignis ardentis,165 et de manibus tuis, rex, liberabit nos. Et si non, notum tibi sit quoniam diis tuis non servimus et imaginem auream quam statuisti non adoramus . Cum se crederent et pro fide sua scirent posse etiam de praesenti supplicio liberari, jactare hoc tamen et vindicare sibi noluerunt dicentes, Et si non, ne minor esset confessionis virtus sine testimonio passionis. Addiderunt posse omnia Deum facere, sed tamen non in hoc fidere ut liberari in praesentia vellent, sed illam libertatis et securitatis aeternae gloriam cogitarent.
Quam fidem vos quoque retinentes et die ac nocte meditantes, toto corde ad Deum prompti, contemptu praesentium futura tantummodo cogitatis, ut ad fructum regni aeterni et ad complexum et osculum Domini et conspectum venire possitis, ut sequamini in omnibus Rogatianum presbyterum, gloriosum senem, viam vobis ad gloriam temporis nostri religiosa virtute et divina dignatione facientem, qui cum Felicissimo fratre nostro quieto semper et sobrio excipiens ferocientis populi impetum, primum hospitium vobis in carcere praeparavit, et metator quodam modo vester, nunc quoque vos antecedit. Quod ut consummetur in vobis, assiduis orationibus Dominum deprecamur, ut, initiis ad summa pergentibus, quos confiteri fecit, faciat et coronari. Opto vos, fratres charissimi ac beatissimi, in Domino semper bene valere et ad coronam coelestis gloriae pervenire. Victor diaconus et qui mecum sunt vos salutant.